As part of its contribution to the Joint United Nations Programme entitled “Strengthening Human Security and Community Resilience by Fostering Peaceful Coexistence in Peru”, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) conducted a seminar on public policies for the prevention and reduction of gun violence in Trujillo City on June 8, 2017.
The seminar took place on the occasion of the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, which took place from 5-12 June 2017 with the theme “The Road to Development and Peace Begins with Silencing the Guns”. With a view to creating visibility for this global campaign, UNLIREC provided a space for the various sectors of municipal and district governments, as well as community leaders and organisational networks within civil society to reflect on and discuss gun violence and its effects on society.
During the event, participants presented and discussed comprehensive measures and citizen security policies aimed at preventing and reducing gun violence as a shared responsibility between different sectors and stakeholders. The various institutions of the State with responsibilities in the matter made known their policies and axes of intervention, generating a broad debate on effective mechanisms to reduce gun violence from a comprehensive and multisectoral perspective.
Special attention was given to preventative measures aimed at young people, such as accessibility to public spaces for sport and recreational activities, as well as the concept of community policing as a means of reducing violence and crime in vulnerable areas.
UNLIREC is part of the UN Joint Programme on Human Security which works with public institutions and local authorities in Trujillo to reduce and prevent crime in general, gender violence and the involvement of adolescents in criminal activities.